Category Archives: Tech

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Do any of you techies think any of these laptops could run World of Warcraft reasonably well?

 

HP-4720S-I5430M/4G/500/DR/GWB

MARKETING NAME: ProBook 4720S WH287UT#AVA

UPGRADES:

MEMORY: 4GB=KTC-KTL-TP1066/4G

BATTERY:

ETHERNET: Integrated Ethernet 10/100/1000

MODEM:

PORT REPLICATOR:

DOCKING STATION:

PROCESSOR/SPEED: Core i5 420M, Dual Core (2.26GHz) 3MB cache HM57 Chipset

ARCHITECTURE: PCI

CARD SLOTS: Express Card/34, Media Card Reader

DISPLAY: 17.3″ LED Backlit HD anti-glare (1600×900 resolution)

GRAPHICS: 512MB dedicated ATI Mobility Radeon HD4350 DirectX 10.1 (discrete),

DirectX 10 (integrated) capable

STANDARD RAM: 4GB DDR3 1066MHz SDRAM MAX: 8GB SLOTS: 2 Available: 0

HARD DRIVE: 500GB 7200rpm SATAII

OPTICAL STORAGE: DVD+-RW Drive Lightscribe

INTERFACES: 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Stereo microphone in, 1 Stereo headphone/line out,

1 Power connector, 1 RJ-45, 1 Combo eSata/USB 2.0, 3 USB 2.0

NETWORKING: Integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet/LAN

WIRELESS: Atheros 9285G 802.11 b/g/n HP Integrated Module with Bluetooth

Wireless Technology, Bluetooth Specification v2.1 compliant

KEYBOARD: 101/102 key US layout (includes numeric keypad)

TRACKING DEVICE: Clickpad (TouchPad)

SOUND: Audio type Two-channel high-definition audio codec

Audio controller IDT 92HD81B

Stereo conversion 24-bit (analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog)

A/C Adapter: 210Watt

BATTERY: 9-Cell extended life 90Whr battery

SOFTWARE: Microsoft Windows 7 64-Bit

OTHER FEATURES:

Bluetooth 2.1

 

Introduced 06/02/10 Mfr. Part No: 2537NQ7 (CTO)

LNV-T410-I5540M/500/4G/DR/MG2B Ds:ThinkPad T410 i5 540M

MARKETING NAME: ThinkPad T400

UPGRADES:

MEMORY: 4GB= KTC-KTL-TP1066/4G

BATTERY: 6-Cell=LVN-57Y4185 9-Cell=LNV-57Y4186

ETHERNET: Integrated Ethernet 10/100/1000

MODEM: Integrated 56K (V.92)

PORT REPLICATOR: LNV-45K1610

DOCKING STATION:

PROCESSOR/SPEED: Core I5 540m (2.53GHz), 3MB Cache, with Mobile Intel QM57

Express Chipset

CARD SLOTS: One 34mm Express Card slot

Smart Card Reader

DISPLAY: 14.1″ WXGA+ Active Matrix (TFT) display

GRAPHICS: 1440 x 900 Anti Glare LED Backlight, 16:10 ratio, nVidia 3100M 512MB

Dedicated Graphics with Switchable technology

STANDARD RAM: 4GB DDR3 1066 MHz SDRAM MAX: 8GB

SLOTS: 2 Available: 1

OPTICAL STORAGE: /DR= DVD-Writer – removable plug-in module

HARD DRIVE: 500 GB – Serial ATA-150 – 7200 rpm

INTERFACES:

4 x Hi-Speed USB – 4 pin USB Type A one powered

1 x display / video – VGA – 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15)

1 x display port

1 x modem – phone line – RJ-11

1 x network – Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T – RJ-45

1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) – 4 pin FireWire

1 x eSATA

1 x microphone – input – mini-phone 3.5 mm

1 x headphones – output – mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm

1 x docking / port replicator

NETWORKING: Integrated Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T – RJ-45

WIRELESS: Intel WiFi Link 6200; IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE

802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1

KEYBOARD: 87 key US layout; Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav; Spill-proof

TRACKING DEVICE: TrackPoint, UltraNav

SOUND:

Audio Output: Sound card

Audio Codec: CX20561

Compliant Standards: High Definition Audio

Audio Input: Microphone

TELECOM:

Modem: Fax / modem

Max Transfer Rate: 56 Kbps

BATTERY:

Technology: 6-cell lithium ion

Installed Qty: 1 / 2 (max)

Run Time (Up To): 6.5 hour(s)

SOFTWARE: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional

 

~~ INTRODUCED 08/28/07

DELL-D630-T7500/120/2G/DR/MGWB

MARKETING NAME: Latitude D630

UPGRADES:

MEMORY: 512MB=;1GB=DELL-A0529982; 2GB=DELL-311-5697

BATTERY: DELL-312-0383

BATTERY CHARGER:

ETHERNET: Included 10/100/1000

MODEM: Included 56K

PORT REPLICATOR:DELL-310-7704

DOCKING STATION: DELL-310-2873

PROCESSOR/SPEED: Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz) wih 4MB L2 cache with Intel

GM965 system chipset

ARCHITECTURE: PCI

CARD SLOTS:

DISPLAY: 14.1″ TFT active-matrix LCD; 1440×900 colors WXGA+ display; 16.8M

colors

GRAPHICS: Intel X3100 Media Accelerator with up to 224MB shared memory

STANDARD RAM: 2GB DDR2 667MHz MAX: 4GB SLOTS: 2, 0 available

FLOPPY: Optional, does not come standard.

OPTICAL: /D= 8x DVD; /DC= combo DVD/CD-RW drive (8x DVD, 4x CD-RW, 8x CD-R, 24x

CD), /DR= 8x DVD+/-RW

INTERFACES: 4 USB V2.0, serial, infrared (1.1 and 1.0), video (15-hole) and

S-Video out connectors, RJ-45 LAN and RJ-11 modem ports

NETWORKING: Integrated 10/100/1000Base-TX Ethernet and Intel 3945 WLAN

(802.11a/g) mini-PCI card

KEYBOARD: 87 key U.S layout

TRACKING DEVICE: Dell DualPoint pointing device (Touch Pad & Touch Stick)

SOUND: AC97 (Soft Audio)/ICH3. 20-bit stereo-digital to analog and 18-bit

stereo analog to digital

BATTERY: 6-cell 56WHr Smart Lithium Ion

AC ADAPTER: 65-watt

INTERNAL SPEAKERS: Two 4-0hm.

Integrated Smart Card reader: Provides strong industry standard two-factor user

authentication (when used with a smart card and applicable software)

-Cards supported: ISO 7816 1/2/3/4 microprocessor

cards (T=0, T=1), 3v & 5v, Java Card;

-Reader certification: WHQL certified for Microsoft

PC/SC, EMV Level 1, 9600 to 115200 BPS

OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows XP SP2

Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 174 user reviews.

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To:

Mark Hurd
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President
Hewlett-Packard Company

Just a quick note to let you know why you are losing me forever as an HP customer.

I own the HP Office Jet Pro L7590.  I did not realize until today that it has the following stealth “feature”:  The printer provides no ability to override use of the color ink cartridges to print in strictly black and white.

This is perhaps the stupidist product feature I have ever seen.  It clearly exists just to force me to have to buy more overpriced ink cartridges.

I am about to get on a plane, and I need to print out a several page Microsoft Word document.  It’s COMPLETELY black.  No yellow in sight.  But because my yellow cartridge is empty, the printer refuses to work. 

I do not have a car.  I do not have the time to make it to the nearest store which carries your overpriced ink cartridges.  Therefore, even though I HAVE LOADS OF BLACK INK IN MY BLACK INK CARTRIDGE, I cannot print this TOTALLY BLACK DOCUMENT.

There should have been a big warning (in YELLOW, perhaps!) on the box of this printer when I was purchasing it.  “WARNING!  BUY LOTS OF EXPENSIVE YELLOW INK CARTRIDGES SO YOU’LL BE ABLE TO PRINT YOUR BLACK AND WHITE DOCUMENTS!!”  You should be embarrassed to foist such ludicrously gimped products onto the public.

I have bought nothing but HP printers for my business for the last twelve years.  That policy ends today.

Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 206 user reviews.

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I’m annoyed with Apple this morning.  Actually I’m annoyed with Apple this week, but particularly this morning.

Recently I’ve been having a problem that is evidently plaguing many iTunes users across the ether:  The damn program has developed a mind of its own, and spontaneously launches.

Spontaneously launches!  And iTunes is a big, clunky collection of SIX programs (I just learned that this morning) and it can take forever to launch.  This is annoying even when I WANT it to launch.  But when it does it on its own, as it does several times an hour, it’s obnoxious.

And lately it’s gotten even worse!  Now it not only spontaneously launches, but it changes window focus to itself.  This means that, in the middle of a World of Warcraft raid, when I’m tanking Mimiron’s head and everyone is counting on me, my game suddently alt-tabs out into iTunes!!

Not acceptable.

I’ve searched for this problem and it’s driving many people crazy, and they’re jumping through hoop after hoop to get it to stop.

Now, I have a pretty cranky attitude toward products that don’t work, and then the companies expect me to spend lots of time troubleshooting them.

I’m not a beta tester for Apple.  The damn thing should just work.  And if it doesn’t, they should patch it pronto.

So, I actually got an Apple techtard on the phone this morning, and let me just tell you, this guy had more attitude than Bronson Pinchot at a Palm Springs White Party.  This is not an attractive, or appropriate, or acceptable tone for a customer support person to have.

I told him I had tried to solve the problem by uninstalling iTunes and installing the newest version and that hadn’t worked.

“How did you uninstall it?” he asked, voice dripping with Pinchot-tude.

“Uh, I went to the Control Panel and uninstalled it.”

He went on to sneeringly inform me that in order to make it uninstall properly, I had to not only uninstall SIX programs, but I had to uninstall them in a magic order!  The order:

  1. iTunes
  2. QuickTime
  3. AppleSoftware Update
  4. Apple Mobile Device Support
  5. Bonjour
  6. Apple Applications

“All of these programs install on my computer when I just ask to install iTunes?!” I asked.

“Yes.”

“That’s kind of pushy, isn’t it?  I don’t have any mobile devices that need Apple Mobile Device Support, and I don’t want Bonjour.”

“You have to have them if you want iTunes.”

Fine.  Tonight I will try this, but if it doesn’t work, I may be making a little drive up to Cupertino with a chainsaw.

Average Rating: 5 out of 5 based on 211 user reviews.

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